The effect of leukaemia on people’s lives is all- encompassing. This is especially true for those facing economic hardship, for whom a relatively small grant can make a life-changing impact.
Since 2008, The Kay Kendall Leukaemia Fund (KKLF) has made hundreds of small grants for patient care. The programme started at a time when there was little recognition of the impact of cancer on the patient’s financial position. It provided funds for travel costs for treatment, white goods, and many other essential items which otherwise would be simply unaffordable. Grants helped individuals and families to deal with the loss of income and the many other practical difficulties that often accompany such a devastating diagnosis, helping to prevent people from spiralling into debt.
One 2013 recipient was Ms B, who had been very unwell with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. She had two small children at the time and the family’s income was low – compounded by loss of earnings due to her illness. Ms B’s symptoms meant she tired easily and needed frequent changes of clothing and bedding. When the washing machine broke and the family couldn’t afford to replace it, their living situation become even more stressful.
“My mother, who lives an hour away, was doing the washing, or my partner was using taxis to get to and from the laundrette,” wrote Ms B, in a letter to the KKLF.
She contacted Plymouth Citizen’s Advice Bureau, where a KKLF-funded caseworker helped her to apply to the KKLF small grants programme. She received £438, resulting in the delivery of a new washer/ dryer machine. This meant Ms B’s family could do the washing at home, making a crucial aspect of their lives easier.
The long-running Finance and Welfare Benefit Advice services based in Gateshead and Plymouth Citizens Advice Bureaux have obtained all-important benefit income for leukaemia clients like Ms B, and act as a main conduit for the small grants programme. The KKLF model has now been adopted and funded by several NHS Trusts, helping even more patients to access help at the time they need it most.
This was just one part of a broader programme, including larger awards to capital projects, nurse funding, and other initiatives associated with leukaemia and the haematological cancers. They all have a strong patient-care focus for patients, their families, and carers.
“It has made an enormous difference to us and our day-to-day life, and for this we are extremely grateful,” says Ms B.
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